Tom Brady gained bragging rights over Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney when his Birmingham City team defeated Wrexham 3-1 on Monday in a match called a Hollywood derby.
Normally, a game in England’s third tier wouldn’t attract much attention, but the high profiles of the owners of both clubs have changed that. Reynolds and McElhenney bought Wrexham in 2021, while Brady bought a small share in Birmingham through Knighthead Capital Management in 2023.
The BBC suggested that this match might be the biggest in the history of England’s League One, bringing extra attention and excitement, which made Brady happy.
It took a while for Brady’s famous smile to show up. The seven-time Super Bowl champion watched from the stands with his friend David Beckham and must have been uneasy when Jack Marriott scored to put Wrexham ahead after just three minutes.
However, Birmingham made a strong comeback with record-signing Jay Stansfield playing well. Stansfield scored an equalizer midway through the first half and then put Birmingham ahead seven minutes into the second half.
Japanese midfielder Tomoki Iwata added a third goal nearly an hour into the game as Birmingham took control in front of its own supporters.
Birmingham’s Krystian Bielik received a red card with four minutes left, but it was too late for Wrexham to make a comeback.
The result put Birmingham level with Wrexham at the top of the standings, but Wrexham remained in first place on goal difference, having played one game more than Birmingham.
